Tag Archives: Restaurant

Finding oneself in LEGO liminality

There’s something a bit off in this LEGO setting devised by Pan Noda. The intentionally-grainy shot of this brick-built mall food court definitely gives a Backrooms vibe. In a space typically characterized by the bustle of shoppers, the smell of fast food, and the occasional offer of a free sample, the stillness that occurs after hours sure can send a shiver down your spine. It’s hard not to wonder what could be hiding behind a pillar or counter. In fact, maybe it’s best to just get out of here… if I still can.

Midnight Food Court

And if you’re up for more spatial and architectural wonders by Pan Noda, be sure to check out the TBB archives.

Bricklink Designer Program Series 1 – Snack Shack: Divey, delicious, or both? [Review]

It’s not every day that we here at TBB review something that’s not found on the LEGO store shelves. But with the Bricklink Designer Program about to launch pre-orders for Series 1 in a few days, we were offered the opportunity by Bricklink to review one of the sets in advance: the Snack Shack designed by Stefan Cornelissen (Distracted Bldr). In addition to the advance copy of the set, we were also able to sit down with Stefan over video chat to talk about his inspiration, specific design choices, and intended implementation of his model. But what did we think of the limited edition set? How does this product differ from something in the LEGO Ideas line? And what did Stefan have to share with us? You’ll have to read on to find out! BDP Series 1 – Snack Shack will be available for pre-order from Bricklink starting Feburary 7th (with delivery of the model approximately 6 months after pre-order) and retails for $49.99 USD.

Bricklink sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read on for our full review below

Grab some oc-tapas at the Octopus Bar & Grill

If you’re hankering for some seafood, best to check out the new LEGO restaurant on the corner of Modular Lane, owned and operated by Erek Weidner. The color scheme here really stands out: the light nougat walls with dark stone columns and red highlights making the building pop. I love the pattern of ornate shapes hugging the waist of the structure, the simple design on the tree formed around a piece of seaweed, and the gorgeous lettering on the restaurant’s sign. But I haven’t even talked about the 800-pound octopus in the room… or rather, on the roof. It’s an inspired idea to jazz up this modular, pulled straight from the pages of a used car dealership’s playbook.

Octopus Bar&Grill

I think I’ll have the Butter Burger with Brick Cheese.

There are a lot of important questions facing the world right now. One that keeps coming up in particular is “Who’s hungry?” Steven Stelter has a suggestion: Maybe you should head to Culver’s for a burger and shake combo. This brick-built beauty beacons you from the highway to delight in the realistic ductwork on the roof, the colorful brickwork, and the custom stickers that ensure you know just where you’ll be blowing that diet of yours.

LEGO Culvers

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Burger of the Day: the “block” angus burger (made out of LEGO)

As a die-hard fan of the show Bob’s Burgers, I’m constantly on the hunt for LEGO constructions honoring the cartoon. And this excellent lime and yellow façade cooked up by Steven Stelter has got to be one of the best I’ve come across. All of the intricate brickwork to create the designs around the second story windows is spot-on to the show’s intro. All it needs is a pun-inscribed pest control van pulling up to the curb. It’s a masterclass in plate spacing and clean lines, heavily relying on the 1×2 jumper plate to create a sight that’s speaks to me like Bob does to the Thanksgiving turkey. With a lit interior, and a huge picture window showing off the bar inside, there’s a lot of depth here to uncover. And that tiny tree design right off the front stoop is almost as cute as Little King Trashmouth!

Bob's Burgers LEGO MOC

Beyond what’s visible through the front window, the interior is fully decked-out, complete with a custom sticker for the iconic Burger of the Day chalkboard. The whole scene is something worthy of Coasters magazine, for sure!

Bob's Burgers LEGO MOC

How about a slice of 1994 nostalgia with extra cheese?

Fresh out of the oven, we have this nostalgia-laden creation by Kevin Wanner, revamping the classic LEGO set 6350: Pizza To Go. The added textures to the white walls of the kitchen feels like something from modern set design, as does the use of dark green in the color palette for the roof. The giant palm and expanded outdoor eating area are both welcome additions here. And I adore the choice to place this vignette on a circular cutout of street and sidewalk, as opposed to your typical, boxy baseplates. But by far, my favorite touch in this restoration is the adept use of the set’s original “Pizzeria” sticker, with part of it remaining as the shop’s sign, and the top slice circling the table’s umbrella. What an excellent idea!

Pizzeria Revamp

When the diner comes to you!

This lovely LEGO diner on wheels comes from the mind of builder 1saac W. Known for their signature scrambled eggs, Moe’s Mobile Diner saves you the trouble of traveling all the way to the diner. Instead, the diner comes to you with those classic curves and stylings of 1960’s diners. The teal blue of the lower section of the mobile diner hearkens to the old upholstery of those diners. The silver grille parts in the front are nice touches for that more chrome, shiny looks of the utensils. The counter space has lovely rounded edges where you can sit and have your eggs while you chat with Moe. The slope pieces framing the kitchen window are slick, and so are those stools in front. And can you spot the cool use of the silver minifig roller-skate acting as a door handle? I think Moe is on to something with his mobile diner.

Moe's Mobile Diner

LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31131 Downtown Noodle Shop – more options for your city layout [Review]

If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets are one of the best options out there. Fun techniques and pieces coupled with three different instruction manuals provides loads of playability, and the ones that feature small buildings make for good additions to any city layout. The latest, LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31131 Downtown Noodle Shop, is no exception to that. While it may not be the most exciting set out there, particularly in a summer wave full of awesome sets, it’s both practical and cute. Join us as we take a brief look into the details of this 569-piece kit, which will be available August 1st and retail for US $44.99 | CAN $59.99 | UK £39.99.

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On a trip to Southern Europe without the hassle of traveling

What do you do when you can’t go on your trip to Southern Europe? Right, you just build a mini version of it! Andrew Tate made this lovely LEGO town square with a combination of different European style buildings. The build features a restaurant, a clothing shop, and lots of apartments above the shop and the restaurant.

Mediterranean town square

There are a lot of nice details added to the buildings. One of my favorite elements is the fluted profile brick being used in brown as shutter and in tan as pleated blinds. The 1×1 tiles on the blue building do a great job representing tiles. The sand green building has windows adorned with loaf slopes. One of the things that really make this creation a lot of fun is the number of levels it has and the activity that is going on on each level. Your eyes can scan the picture multiple times and every single time you’ll notice something new. I can already imagine myself sitting on that lovely city bench underneath the blooming gazebo enjoying the busy city life in front of me.

Hospitality on hold

LEGO builder Alex Eylar captures the mood of many with his latest creation Lonely Chef. Alex says he’s missing restaurants during the current lockdown, but in this melancholy composition he also manages to communicate the quiet despair felt by many in the hospitality industry. I’ve spent my entire working life in the bar and drinks trade, and right now it feels like I’m watching the whole industry slide off a cliff in slow-motion. On a less gloomy note, this is a wonderful LEGO model — clean lines and a simple colour scheme, nicely-lit, and well-photographed. I’m looking forward to when such creations depict a moment from our history, rather than from our present.

Lonely Chef

Do you live to eat, or eat to live?

In modern times, “eating good food” has become a hobby of sorts around the world. There are hotspots for foodies to relish in simple and local food sold on the streets or pushcarts, just like this huge LEGO scene from Malaysia depicting such a location, where food lovers hang out and where a few dollars can go a long long way.

Muar Avenue 4 Brick Street

This build is a collaborative effort by members of SynergyLUG Malaysia, led by Bruce Lee, along with a large team which includes Junious Tan, Chua Chee Yan, Marco Gan, Tommy Tong, Michael Choy, Zi Quan, Foo Wen Yao, Leroy Pang, Vincent Kiew, Cheng Heng Ching, Wong Chee Keong, Zac Wong, Daphne Gan, Jack Tan and Terry Lai.

Muar Avenue 4 Brick Street

Click to see more of the Avenue 4 Street scene

The biggest burgers in town

That hipster burger joint downtown doesn’t have anything on Big Belly Burger, where you just might have to cart your lunch back to the office on a dolly, because your 57-pound patty is too big to lift. This view of the chaotic lunch rush by Nick Sweetman gives us a quick glimpse of the biggest burger place in town. And they weren’t kidding when they said the burgers are char-broiled.

The BIG Belly Burger Joint.